Ball driving machine



H. K. DAVIS 1,995,170

BALL DRIVING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 19, 1935.

INVENTOR: Henry lf. Pw

IIIIIIII HIS ATTORNEYS March 19, 1935. H. K. AVIS BALL DRIVING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q LLA. d WJ HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 19, 1935 e f n' UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ice BALL DRIVING MAcnINE Henry K. Davis, `New York, N.' Y., assignor to` A. G. Spalding & Bros., New.York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey `Application February 14, 1934, Serial No. 711,116 i Claims.` (Cl. 'Z3-51) The present invention relates to driving ma- 1, but showing the mechanismin the positon aschines and embodies, more specifically, an imsumed thereby upon release of a ball therefrom; proved balldriving machine by means of which Figure 4 is a plan view of the mechanism shown golf balls may be electively subjected to driving in Figure 1, this View showing a net and collect- 5 stresses and conditions. ing device which may be used in connection with ,5

Y MoreV particularly',the invention embodies 4a the present invention. Y ball driving machine by ymeans of whichl a plu- Y, Referring to the abovedrawings, a driving arm rality of balls may be driven automatically and is shown at and is provided with a driving with a desired rapidity, whereby their trajectories head 11, the arm being mounted upona shaft 12 l0 may be accurately studied. In this connection, which is journaled at 13 in a hollowy extension 14 10 the mechanism Vis designed -to synchronize Ythe 'of-a supporting standard 15. The shaftr112 Ais motion of the ball prior to strikingfand the mopreferably journaled upon an axis which lies at tionof the striking implement insuchfashion an angle between the horizontal and.A verticaland that the rapidity with which successive balls are is provided with a counterweight 16 toA counterl5 driven may be varied' 'within predetermined balance the rotating driving member 10. A v15 limits. y Theend of shaft l2 within the standard 15 is An object of the invention,'accordingly, is to provided with a bevel gear 1.7 which isgadapted to provide a ball driving machine byl means of which engage a cooperating bevel gear 18 mounted upon a plurality of balls may be automatically suppa horizontal sha.ft19. Shaft 19 is journaled'at 20 plied to a driving'member in order that the balls 20 in ahorizontal extension 21l on the standard 20 may be driven successively and automatically. I 15 and is provided with a driving -gear 22 which A further object of the invention is to provide may be -driven'by the chain 23 (indicated in dot a ball driving machine wherein a plurality of balls and dashlines in Figure 1) vor by any other suitare supplied to a driving member, means being able mechanism.V Chain 23 is shownv as being 25 provided to synchronize the motion of the balls driven by asprocket gear 24 and adriving mem- 25 Withthat of the driving member. ber 25. ThisV driving mechanism is preferably Y A further object of the inventionis to provide of any suitable variablespeed type and need not a driving machine of the above character wherebe described in further detail herein, the requiin the means for supplying balls to the driving sites thereof being only thoseof a driving member member comprises a means wherebyVV the balls preferably embodying Variable speed character- .30

are caused to bounce and be struck by the driving istics. l p member at a predetermined point of rebound. In order that balls may be supplied to the driv- A further object of the invention is to provide ing head 11, as it revolves about the axis of shaft a ball driving member of the above character 12, aball magazine 26 is provided, mounted upon wherein the ball supplying means and the driva bracket 27 which may be secured to a base plate 35 ing member are so constructed as to utilize the 28 and provided with a starting lever 29 journaled gravitational action of a freely falling body to vat 30 to the bracket 27. The starting lever 29is produce a rebound of the ball in such fashion provided with a stoppin 31 which is adapted to that the driving member 'strikes vthe ball ata be moved into the magazine through an aperture predetermined point of the rebound. .32 formed therein and to lie in the path of balls 40 The foregoing and other objects of the invenin the magazine. A spring33 normally urges the tion will be apparent as itis described in further lever 29 toward 'the magazine and consequently detail in connection with the accompanying drawserves to urge the pin 31 intothe path ofthe balls ings, wherein:- y 1 within the magazine to prevent their being dis- '45 Figure 1 is a view siderelevation, partly charged. vThe base plate 28 is preferablyl mount- 45 broken away and in section,` showing a driving Aed rigidly with the standard 15 'in order that the mechanism constructed in accordance with the -proper spacing between the elementsgmay be prepresent invention, the portions'in section illusserved. A brace bar 34 is'formedr with alower .trating the driving mechanism as well as the ball horizontal portion 35 which is secured to the Supplying device. Y Y bracket 27 and may serve to maintain the space Figure 2 is a detail enlarged View of the cam relation between the Ystandard 15 and the magamechanism by means of which the ball supplying kzine 26. The upper end of plate 34- engages shaft means is synchronized with the driving member. 12, the latter being journaled within the upper Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of the vball end thereof.

*'55 supplying means, this view being similar to Figure The discharge of balls from the magazine fis w55 controlled by a trip lever 36 which is pivoted at 37 upon a bracket 38 which is carried by the lower end of the magazine 26. An arm 39 is formed on the lever 36, a spring 40 being secured between the arm 39 and the extension 35 of the plate 34 in order that the trip lever 36 may be normally urged into the position illustrated in Figure 3. A push rod 41 is slidably mounted in the bracket 38 and is adapted to engage a shoulder 42 which is formedv on the trip lever 36. The motion of the push rod 41 toward the bracket-38 causes the trip lever to swing in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figures 1 and 3 and, by means of upper and lower trip pins 43 and 44, respectively, xed on the lever 26, the release of one ball at a timeV from the magazine is effected. In the position illustrated in Figure 1, the lower trip pin 44 is moved into the path of the balls while the upper trip pin is withdrawn from :the

magazine thus permitting a ball to drop dov/I1 upon'the lower trip pin. Such action is eected by motion of the push rod 41 toward the bracket 38. A reverse motion of the rod 41 enables the spring 40 to move the upper trip pin 43 into the position shown in Figure 3, simultaneously withdrawing the lower pin 44 from the magazine and permitting the lowest ball to be dropped while maintaining the remaining balls in the magazine as shown in Figure 3.

In order that the motion of the push rod 4l may be effectively controlled, the bar 34 is provided with a member 45 within which the push rod is guided. A spring 46 interposed between the member 45 and a collar 47 upon the push rod urges the rod normally upwardly and away from the shoulder 42. The upper end of the rod is connected to a bar 48 which is slidably mounted in la'supporting block 49, secured to the bar 34. Bar 48 is formed with a bifurcated portion at therupper end thereof in which a roller 50 is journaled.

VRoller 50 engages the periphery of a cam disc 51,

the disc having a high side 52 and a low side 53. This cam disc is secured to a shaft 54 which is journaled in the plate 34 and to which a driving gear 55 is secured. Driving gear 55 is engaged by a pinion 56 which is secured to the shaft 12, the gear ratio between the pinion 56 and gear 55 being such as to afford a desired synchronization of the motion of the driving arm' 10 and the tripping mecha-nism on the magazine 26. In the particular form now in use this gear ratio is four to one 'and the cam disc is formed with a high and low side each of 180. As a result, the tripping mechanism is actuated once in every four revolutions of the driving arm, such actuation releasing a ball from the magazine 26 and permitting the ball to-dropupon anA anvil 57 formed of a-substance to provide a suitable surface on which the ball when dropped from above will bounce properly.4 In the machine now in use, the anvil is formed of canvas discs.

The device, if desired, may be used in combination with a net and collecting device as shown in Figure 4. The driving machine is adjusted to drive ballsinto a net 58 from which the ballsare collected and returned through a trough 59 to a magazine 60. The balls so collected may be introduced into the magazine 26 and, in this fashion,`the balls may be conveniently Vsubjected to desired tests.

- .Inoperatiom the arm 10 may be set in motion, rotating about the axis of shaft 12 and balls placed in the-magazine 26. When it is desired to cause the striking head 11 to strike balls from the magazine. the lever 29 is released and the trip pin 43 allowed to sustain the weight of the balls in the magazine, this pin preventing the release of the balls therefrom. Duringthe period of rotation of the head 11 in which the low side 53 of the cam 51 engages the roller 50, the pin 43 holds the balls within the magazine. When the roller 50 rides up onto the high side 52 of the cam, the push rod 41 is moved axially to rock the tripping lever 35 in a counterclockwise direction and move the pin 44 into the magazine at the same time withdrawing pin`43 therefrom. This causes the balls within the magazine 26 to descend and be supported by the pin 44. Y'When the roller 50 rides from the high vto the low side of the cam 51, the pin 44 is withdrawn and the lowest ball permitted to drop on to, the bouncing surface 57 as illustratedin Figure 3. lUpon release of the pin 44, the pin 43 advances into the path of the balls in the magazine 26 and thus prevents more than one ball from being released at a time. In this fashion, the machine is adjusted'to deliver a ball -into striking position once everyfourth revolution of the striking head l1; l 'Ihe striking and ball supplying means are effectivelymaintained in proper relative position by means of the bar 34 which, in'the form of'thev invention n'ow in use, serves as a mountingmeans for thegears 55 and 56,r for the cam and pushrod mechanismfor actuating the tripping lever lof the ball supplying means. By mounting the `striking"means for rotation in a plane'at an angle between the horizontal and vertical, the ball supplying means may be of such character as to dropfthe ballsv underthe action of gravity and cause the same to be bounced into a striking position, the striking head 11 being timed to strike the balls on the first rebound thereof from the canvas surface 57. By varying the -speed of the striking head 111 and the loft angle thereof,l the length of drive maybe varied. In the construction shown and described herein, for a given loft angle of the club or striking head, a drive of from 200 to 220 yards results with a speed of operation such that 'a ball may be driven every eight tenths of a second. In this fashion, several balls are in night at one time and the trajectories thereof may thus be conveniently studied and compared under similar air and other conditions.

The invention obviously may be embodied in structures differing in form and arrangement from the structure described specifically hereinabove and it will be apparent that the ball feed mechanism may include a magazine or magazines in positions other than the vertical position. Moreover, the striking mechanism and timing mechanism may be varied substantially to include many devices wherein a suitable automatic operation is effected in releasing and supplying balls to a driving implement. The scope of the invention thus is not to be limited, save as defined in the appended claims. YI claim as my invention:

1. A striking device comprising a rotatable striking means, means to mount Vthe ystriking means for rotation in a plane at an angle to the horizontal and vertical, means to supply balls in a vertical plane, said ball supplying means lying in a plane intersecting the path of movement of the striking means Aand adapted, whenactuated, to drop a ball, a bouncing surface from which the ball may bounce into a striking position in the path of the striking means, and means Voperated bythe striking means to actuate the supplying means.

2. A striking device comprising a rotatable striking means, means i 'to mount the striking means tor rotation in a plane at an angle to the horizontal and vertical, means to supply balls in a vertical plane, said ball supplying means lying in a plane intersecting the path of movement of t striking means and adapted, when actuated, to drop a ball, a bouncing surface from which the bounce into a striking position in the path o the striking means, tripping means on the supplying means to release a ball therefrom, and means operated by the striking means to actuate the tripping means.

3. In combination with means forming bouncing surface and. ball releasing means spaced thereabove, a striking means movable between the releasing` means and. the bouncing surface, and

.means actuated by the striking means to operate the releasing means.

4. In combination bouncing surface and ball releasing means spaced thereabove, a striking means movable between the releasing means and the bouncin surface in a plane at an angle to the vertical and horizontal, and means actuated by the striking means to operate the releasing means.

5. In combination with means forming a bouncing surface and ball releasing meansspaced thereabove, aA striking means movable between the releasing means and the bouncing surface,

a and means actuated by the striking means to cause the releasing means to release one ball at a time.

HENRY K. DAVIS.

with means forming a 

